Railway draft gear



Nov. 15, 1927.

R. D. GALLAGHER, JR

RAILWAY DRAFT GEAR Filed May 4. 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INovflS, 1927;"

. R. D. GALLAGHER, JR

RAILWAY DRAFT GEAR Filed May 4. 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 g/Ug' I I /l Suva/gi? Nov. 15, 1927. 1,649,344

R. D. GALLAGHER,.JR

l RAILWAY DRAFT GEAR da r atl'oznega Patented Nov. l5, 1927.

UNITED STATES l 1,649,344 PATENT oFFlce.

RICHARD D; GALLAGHER, JR., OF FREEPORT, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO'LILLAN K.

i GALLAGHER, OF FREEPORT, NEW YORK.

RAILWAY DRAFT GEAR.

Application filed May 1926. Serial No. 106,700.

rlhis invention relates to railway draft rigging and particularly to the spring gear type. I

One object of the present invention 1s to 5 provide "a springl gear possessing proper shock absorbing capacities without detracting from the capacity or strength of the gear in so far as the portions which sustain the load after the springs have been fully compressed are concerned. More specically the invention seeks to maintain the springs in their proper relative positions with respect to the followers by a series-of parti'- tions and reinforcing webs so constructed and arranged that the design of the combined cross-section of said partitions and webs may be varied or increased to meet service conditions without detracting from the area of the seat against which t-he springs abut and without changing the location of said seats. This is essential because, if the gear is to possess the proper strength, it is necessary that the cross sections of the `partitions and webs should be substantially equal to the cross section of the draw bar or suiliciently great to meet the stresses put upon them so that there will be no comparatively weak portions in the structure when' the gear has gone solid undery the applicationof bufling movements thereto.

A further object is to provide means for facilitating the application of the assembled gear to a car struct-ure. As is well vknown there are more or less standard dimensions to which draft gears must conform and it is sometimes quite difficult to assemble or apply a spring type of gear to the car structure. For this reason the present feature consists in providing means whereby the springs or other compression resisting elements may be initially put under compression to a slight extent so that the front and rear followers will be positioned comparatively close to one another. By having the followers thus more closely positioned together they, with the compression resisting elements, can be readily assembled on the car. The means for maintaining the compression resisting elements slightly comclosely positioned together than they are when in actual use are so arranged in the gear that, after the same has been applied to the car and the car has gone into use, if the 5" gear should have applied theretoa pressure r5 5 of Fig. 3;

pressed and the followers a little more greaterthan that under which the compression elements are initially placed, the resulting increased movement of t-he followers toward one another will permit such means to drop out, after which the followers will be free to be moved away from one another to the full extent of which they are capable under ordinary working conditions. In other words, when assembled for shipment the followers are held alittle more closely together in the gear than they are normally in the car construction so that the gear can be readily applied to the car and immediately upon going into use on a car the means for retaining the springs compressed are rendered permanently inoperative. No human agency is necessary to remove these means, their removal being accomplished by the ordinary usage of the gear after the same has been applied to the car. v

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in certain novel details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts all as will hereinafter be more fully described and the novel features thereof particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings,- l Figure l is a top plan view of a draft gear embodying the present improvements;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a gear embodying'the present improvements; Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken through the center of the gear; y Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the gear;

Fig'. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line Fig. 6 is a front 'elevation of the front follower;

Fig. 7 is a. sectional view taken on the line 77 of Fig. 3;

. Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 3; l

Fig. 9 is a sectional view on the line 9 9 of Fig. 2;

Fig. l0 is a sectional viewshowing in detail the means for maintaining the gear slightly compressed before its application to a car structure;

Fig. l1 is a sectional view showing other details not shown in Fig. 10.

In accordance with present day practice the draft members are shown with cheek plates l0 attached to the sills, from which the gear is supported by the tie plates 11 connected to said sills by any suitable fastening means suoli as bolts 12. Said cheek plates are provided with openings 13 through which a key 14 extends for connecting the draw bar 15 to the yoke 16 of the gear. Said cheek plates are also provided with a second pair of alined openings 17 for another key 18 which extends through said openings and through an opening in the front follower of the gear as well as through openings in the yoke 16. Bothy of said openings in the yoke for the two keys are of considerablewidth, much greater than the width of the keys, so as to permit said yoke to move with respect to one of said cross keys under certain circumstances as is well understood in the art. The inner end of said yoke embraces the rear follower of the gear and is adapted to abut against the rear stop member. The inner end of the draw bar abuts against the front follower of the gear and when the compression resisting members of the gear are compressed the front and rear followers of the gear are adapted to have certain portions thereof brought into contact so as to form a solid mass of metal from the draw bar back to the rear stop. ln order that the gear will possess the proper strength it is desirable that this solid mass of metal, which is thus interposed between the rear stop and the draw bar but when the compression resisting elements are fully coml pressed shall have substantially the same cross sectional dimensions as the draw bar. For this reason it is important that in pro viding the seating surfaces on the rear follower for the compression resisting element such seating surfaces shall be so arranged on said follower thatthe partitions which separate them and the strengthening webs which reinforce said partitions shall be so arranged that the design of their cross sections can be varied so as to equal the cross section of the draw bar or arranged to meet the stresses put upon them in service without varying the size of said .seating surfaces and without disarranging them on the follower. l/Vith this object in view the rear follower has its surface divided by partitions which extend between two opposed edges of said follower said partitions being preferably spaced apart and having a seating surface for one compression resisting element formed between them with a series of seating surfaces between the partitions and the other two edges of said follower. By having the partitions 25 spaced from one another not only may a suitable seat supporting surface 26 be formed between them, but it is also possible to provide a strengthening web or partition 28 intermediate said partitions at a point remote from the seating surface 26. Web 28 being located more or less remote from the after be described in greater detail, but said springs are held in their proper relative positions on the rear follower by the partitions 25, Said partitions extend a' considerable distance longitudinally of the springs and when said springs are compressed the -ends of the partitions contact with a shoulder 30 on the front follower so that the draw bar, the front follower, and the partitions, together with the rear follower, form a sub-- stantially solid mass of metal back to the rear stop 28. By knowing the strength of the cross section of the draw bar the manufacturer can form the webs 28 of sufficient width to insure this substantially solid column of metal from the draw bar to the rear stop being of uniform or desirable strength. Furthermore, by having the majority of the seats Vfor the springs 24 arranged substantially around the periphery of the followers it is possible to have the partitions located at an intermediate point on the followers more or less directly in line with the draw bar.

Under ordinary conditions the separation of the front and rear followers by expansion of the springs 24 is limited by the rear stop 23 and the key 18 coming in contact with one of the end walls of slots 17 and when the gears are shipped by the manufacturer they are usually assembled ready to be applied to the car structure, but it will readily be apparentthat if such assembled gear has been assembled with the followers separated to the same extent as they are when in actual use it will be diflcult to aline the opening 19 in the front follower with the opening 17 in t-he cheek plates preparatory to the insertion of the keys 18. As said openings 17 are wider than the keys 18, whereby when the gear is in use the front follower is free to move toward the rear follower and rear stop plate under buiing strains, the present invention contemplates the provision of means for, permitting the gear to be preliminarily assembled with the springs21t partially compressed so as to insure the openings 19 in the front follower' registering with the corresponding opening 17 in the cheek plates.

Such means, of course, must be capable of being readily removed after the gear has been applied to the car structure so as to loo permit the springs 24 to expand and moveV the followers to their normal working positions. As the pressures exerted by the springs are exceedingly high it is preferred that these means for preliminarily maintaining the assembled gear somewhat compressed shall be so arrangedl as to be displaced by the force exerted upon the followers during buffing strains when the gear is in actual use. The most economical and efficient means for accomplishing this object are shown more or less in detail in Figs. 10 and 11. n

In the construction illustrated in these figures, the tie rods 29, which retain the springs 2-l between the followers, are provided, preferably at one end only with enlargements 31, which are tapered to conform to the contour of countersunk openings 32 in the4 exterior faces of the front and rear followers. In assembling they gears for shipment the springs 24 are compressed slightly and blocks 33 are interposed between the walls of the countersunk openings and the enlargements 31 on th-e tie rods. The tendency of the .springs 24 to expand will insure said blocks being retained between the followers and enlarge-ments 31, but as a further assurance of retaining said blocks in their proper positions one or more, but preferably, opposed recesses 34 can be provided in the walls of the countersunk openings in the followers and similar recesses 35 can be provided in the enlargements 31 of the tie rods. By thus holding the enlargements of the tie rods in spaced relation to the follower the springs 24 can be maintained under pressure and the followers held more closely positioned with respect to one another than they are when in actual use and as a result the opening 19 in the front follower will be sure to register with the opening 17 in the cheek plates 10 when the gear is positioned on the tie plates 11 preparatory to the insertion of key 1S. After the gear has been installed on the car and goes into use, upon ordinary bufling movements being imposed upon the gear, the springs 24 will. be further compressed and the front follower moved closer to the rear follower. Under these circumstances it will be apparent that the blocks 33 are free to drop from between the enlargements on the tie rods and the walls of the countersunk openings 32. This will occur almost immediately the moment either the fro-nt or rear follower and the springs are subjected to a pressure exceeding that initially imposed upon them by the manufacturer when assembling the gear for shipment. After the springs 24 are relieved of the buiiing movement and recoil, the followers, in the absence of the blocks 33, will bey free to assume positions they should occupy under normal working conditions, that is, the front follower will be forced away from the rear follower until bufting movements are imposed upon the gear so as to compress the. springs 24 a little more than they are compressed by the manufacturer in assembly', the blocks 83 will drop by gravit-y or, be rendered permanently inoperative. It is preferred that the. length of rods 29 be such that after the blocks 33 have been displaced, enlargements 31 will be spaced slightly from the walls of openings 32 to allow for wear or expansion .of the gear in service. As has been intimated only one block may be used with each rod and, likewise, only one rod extending thro-ugh the center spring need be. formed with the enlarged end 3l, but it is preferred that each rod be formed with such bead and two blocks used with each because the surfaces engaged by the blocks can be easily machined with a countersunk reamer and, furthermore, the rod will move and adjust itself to centralized longitudinal stra-ins between the blocks, thus eliminating shearing strains. This is of utmost importance due to the heavy pull or stress put on said rods.

It will be appreciated that the openings in thefollower need not be countersunk nor the enlargements on the tie rods tapered but such construction is preferred as it can better withstand the shearing strains that are imposed upon the enlargements by the heavy springs, such as are used in draft gears. It will be also understood that while the gear shown utilizes springs only for absorbing shocks, nevertheless, certain features of the present invention may be readily adapted to friction gears.

What I claim is:V

1. In a draft rigging, the combination of a draw-bar, front and rear followers, a yoke embracing the followers and connected to the draw-bar, and compression resisting elements between said followers, one of said followers having a plurality of seating surfaces against which the compression resisting elements abut, said seating surfaces being separated by spaced partitions extending across said followers, and webs connecting said partitions, said webs being located at points remote from the seating surfaces on said follower whereby'the cross-sections of said webs may be varied without affecting the size or location of said seating surfaces.

2. In a draft rigging, the combination of draw-bar, front and rear followers, a yoke lll CII

embracing the followers and connected to the draw-bar, and compression resisting elements between said followers, one of said followers having a plurality of seating surfaces against which the compression resisting elements abut, and a plurality of partitions for transmitting stresses from one follower to the other when the gear is under compression and for maintaining said elements in proper position on their' respect-ive seating surfaces, one of said spring seats being located intermediate said partitions and the other seats being located between said partitions and the side edges of said follower, the cross-seetion of a portion of said partitions being variable without affecting the size or location of said seating surfaces.

3. In a draft rigging, the combination of a draw-bar, front and rear followers, a yolre embracing the followers and connected to the draw-bar, and compression resisting elements between said followers, one of said followers having a plurality of seating surfaces against which the compression resisting elements abut, and a plurality of partitions eXw tending between two opposed edges of the followers at points spaced from theremaining opposed edges of the followers to provide seats for the compression resisting` elements between said partitions and the last mentioned opposed edges of the 'follower' and for transmitting stresses from one follower to the other when the gear is under'compres sion, and strengthening partitions connecting the first mentioned partitions, the crossseetion of said strengthening partitions being variable without affecting the size or location of the seating surfaces of the compression resisting elements.

4. In a draft rigging, the combination of a draw-bar, front and rear followers, compression elements between said followers resisting movement of the followers toward each other, retainer members extending through said compression resisting elements and connecting said followers, and means associated with said retainer' members for maintaining said compression resisting elements under pressure with the followers positioned relatively close to each other before said gear' is applied to a car structure, said last mentioned means being permanently rendered inoperative when said compression resisting elements are initially placed under increased pressure after application to the car structure.

5. In a draft rigging, the combination 0f a draw-bar, front and rear followers, resilient compressible means resisting movement of said followers toward each other, a retainer member connecting said followers, and means for maintaining said compression resisting means associated with said retainer member under pressure with the followers positioned relatively close to one another before said gear is applied to a car structure, said means being` permanently rendered inoperative when said compression resisting means are initially placed under increased pressure.

6. In a draft rigging, the combination of a draw-bar, front and rear followers, a compression element between said followers resisting movement of the same toward each other, a rod extending through said element and connecting said followers, and means cooperating with said rod maintaining said compression resisting element under pressure with the followers positioned relatively close together before said gear is applied to a car structure, said last mentioned means being permanently rendered inoperative when said compression resisting elements are initially placed under increased pressure.

7. In a draft rigging, the combination of a draw-bar, front and rear followers, oompression elements between said followers resisting movement of the followers toward each other, retainer members extending through said compression resisting elements and connecting said followers, and means interposed between said followers and said retaining members forv maintaining said compression elements under pressure with the followers positioned relatively close to each other before said gear is applied to a car struct-ure, said last mentioned means being permanently rendered inoperative when said pressure resisting elements are initially placed under increased pressure after application to the car structure.

8. In a draft rigging, the combination of a draw-bar, front and rear followers, compression elements between said followers resisting movement of the followers toward each other, retainer members extending through said compression resisting elements and connecting said followers, said members having enlargements formed thereon, and means interposed between said followers and the enlargements on the retaining members for maintaining said compression resisting elements under pressure with the followers positioned relatively close to each other before the gear is applied to a ear structure, said last mentioned means being permanently rendered inoperative by the application of additional pressure to the followers after the gear has been applied to a car structure.

9. ln a draft rigging, the combination of a draw-bar, front and rear followers, said followers having countersunk openings therein, compression elements between said followers resisting movement of the followers toward each other, retainer members eX- tending through said compression resisting elements and connecting said followers. said retainer members having enlarged ends ta.- pered to conform to the oountersunk openings in the followers, and means interposed between the enlarged ends of the retaining members and the walls of the countersunk openings for maintaining said compression elements under pressure with the followers positioned relatively close to each other before said gear is applied to the car structure, said last mentioned means being free to fall by gravity from between the walls of the countersunk openings and the enlarged ends of the retaining members upon the application o'f increased pressure to the compression resisting elements.

10. In a draft rigging, the combination of a draw-bar, frontand rear followers, said followers having countersunk openings therein with depressions in opposed faces of the walls of the countersunk openings, compression resisting elements between said followers resisting movement' of the followers toward each other, tie rods extending through the followers and connecting the same, said rods having enlarged ends tapered to conform to the countersunk openings, and said enlarged ends `having depressions in opposed faces adapted to register with the recessesvin the walls of the countersunk openings, and blocks in the recesses in the walls of the countersunk openings and the recesses in the heads of the tie rods adapted to hold the ends kof the tie rods spaced from the followers with the compression resisting elements undercompression and the followers relatively close `to one another, said blocks being free to fall from said recesses upon the application of increased pressure to said compression resisting elements.

11. In a draft rigging, the combination of a draw-bar, front and rear followers, one of said followers having an opening therein with a depression in the wall of said opening, compression resisting elements between said followers resisting movement of the same toward each other, a rod extending through one of said elements and the followers and connecting the latter, an enlargement on said rod conforming substantially to the opening in the follower', said enlargement having a depression therein, and va block in the depression in said enlargement and the wall of the opening adapted to place the compression resisting elements under pressure, said block being free to fall from said depressions upon the application of increased pressure to the compression resisting elements.

12. In a draft rigging, the combination Vof a draw-bar, front and rear followers,

vblocks interposed' between said enlarged ends of the tie rods and the exterior faces of the followers adapted to hold said enlarged ends spaced from the followers with the compression resisting elements under pressure, whereby the application of the rigging to a car structure is facilitated, said blocks being freev to fall from between the tie rod heads andthe followers upon the application of increased pressure to the compression resisting elements after the same hasbeen applied to a car structure, whereby the compression resisting elements may force the followers away from one another to the positions they normally occupy in the ear structure.

13. In a draft rigging, the combination of cheek plates and a` rear stop, said cheek plates having openings therein, of a rear follower adapted to engage said rear stop, a front follower having a key opening therein, a yoke embracing said followers, a draw-bar connected to said yoke, a key extending through the key openings in the cheek plates and the key opening in the front follower, compression resisting elements interposed between the two followers and adapted to force them away from one another, and means for maintaining the compression resisting elements under partial compression with the followers positioned relatively close to one another when the gear is lirst assembled whereby the same may be applied to the car with the key opening in the front follower in registry with the key opening in the cheek plate.

RICHARD D. GALLAGHER, JR. 

